Greensboro History Museum
The Greensboro Historical Museum, consisting of the former First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro and the Smith Memorial Building, is a historical museum building located at 130 Summit Ave. in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. Built in 1892 on the site of a former Confederate hospital, the former Presbyterian church is a Romanesque brick building with a gabled roof and steeple. The semicircular, 11-bay Smith Memorial Building was built in 1903. It has four octagonal sides and a tower. The memorial building was designed by architect Charles Christian Hook (1870-1938). The church and the memorial building were combined and the old structures were altered and renovated in 1938. The property is also home to the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, established in 1831 when the first church was built on land donated by Jesse H. Lindsay. The church vacated the property in 1929, and in 1937-1938 it was renovated and expanded into the Richardson Civic Center and donated to the City of Greensboro. It later housed the Greensboro Public Library, the Greensboro Historical Museum, and the Greensboro Art Center. The historic building is part of the larger Greenboro Historical Museum. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register of Historic Places) in 1985. However, they are not part of the nomination. The exterior of the building remained largely unchanged. The 1892 section has a cross gable roof with clapboards terminating in a ball and flower motif. The east facade (at the rear of the building) has a range of irregular windows with brick lintels and lintels, plus three small windows at the top of the gable, with a granite band above the cut on jamb and lintel. Three of the irregular windows were added in 1938, and the double-arched windows were later replaced by six rectangular ones. All parts of the building are covered with red brick (except markings). The south end of the building (1892) has a gabled roof that repeats the ball and flower motif. A small door and window lead to the back workshop and six other windows open into the office space.
Behind this section added in 1938 is another facade. The upper tower was removed in 195 for security reasons. A contrasting granite zone begins at the base of the tower and runs horizontally around the remainder of the 1892 section. Above this is a double hung 10/10 window with a segmented granite lintel and sill. Above this are three small arched windows in a vertical arrangement with granite sills and segmented roof arches imitating a flat vault. A granite belt runs around the tower on the arch line of the upper window arch. The copper roof of the tower is slightly worn. A small tower surrounds the west facade at the foot of the tower. It has five small windows with granite canopies and sills. At the foot of the tower is an arched entrance flanked by lateral buttresses. It is accessed by six granite steps. This doorway was once deeply recessed in the Romanesque style and was the main entrance to the church, but is now flush with the outer wall and closed. The two-part wooden door with a round head has eight panels. All other front doors, although wooden, are rectangular. Another ribbon of granite at window sill level begins on the left side of the entrance and continues around the building. (continued) Jatkolehti Helma No. 7 Page 1 The roof line on the south side is rather irregular and is covered by a dome. Under the roof, four south-facing columns, three of which illuminated the sanctuary at the same time. Although they were cut down with an ax in 1938 to the interior of the museum, they were painted inside. The western facade of the section (1892) is dominated by a three-sided bay arrangement. There are three horizontal granite zones and a round granite arch on each side. A smaller window is enclosed below each window, with a granite sill at ground level that opens below the level of the main floor. The northern part of the building (1892) has an inclined roof. At the level of the interior ceiling, four ceilings similar to the south facade were painted, which were once used as skylights. One of these attics was added in 1938 after the main entrance was remodeled. This section is flanked by two granite belts, and the western overhang has a molded granite bridge. The four windows on the north facade have segmented granite canopies (the jambs are 1938 replacements for the dilapidated originals). Other small changes made in 1938 include the removal of two vents and the attic.
If necessary, slates were also replaced. This concludes the description of the 1892 section. The section (1903) is generally similar but contains different details. The west facade originally contained the main entrance to this building and is now used as a secondary entrance to the Greensboro Historical Museum. This entrance faces southwest and has a round doorway with a granite arch. Six granite steps lead up to the simple slate slab leading to this door. Although the door was originally recessed, it is now flush with the exterior wall. The long axis of the rectangular platform rests on a wall with three granite sills and cams. The inscription to the right of the platform is part of the addition (1938) (see below). On the west side is a large round granite arched window that repeats the door motif, below which is the original cornerstone of the building (1902). There are three granite lanes around the building, one of which has granite arches on the spring line. Below are two windows at basement level, with granite ceilings and windowsills now partly below ground level. Several skylights were removed from that side in 1938. The building (1903) has two parts. The western part starting from the entrance consists of four octagonal sides. The first page has an inscription; the second, a large arched window; a third similar smaller window; and in the fourth only three strips of granite. The repaired overhangs are repeated on the west facade of the 1938 addition (see below). This bay was expanded to its present form in 1938. For the internal staircase, the octagonal roof was raised and new wooden cornices with concealed gutters were added. The Greensboro History Museum, an American Association of Museums-accredited Smithsonian affiliate, is a division of the City of Greensboro Library Department and operates in a public-private partnership with the nonprofit GHM Inc. The Greensboro Historical Museum works with the community to capture the diverse history of the city and connect people to that history and to each other through engaging exhibits, educational programs and community dialogue. The Greensboro Historical Museum—an AAM-accredited Smithsonian affiliate—is a division of the City of Greensboro Library Department and operates as a public-private partnership with the nonprofit GHM Inc. The Greensboro Historical Museum collects the city’s diverse history in partnership with the community and connects people to that history and to each other through engaging exhibits, educational programs and community dialogue.